Justice News

Moss Point Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Gulfport, Miss – Cornelius Javon Massey, 20, of Pascagoula, entered a guilty plea Thursday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden for being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Massey faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for November 2, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Ozerden in Gulfport.

The case arose when officers with the Pascagoula Police Department pulled over a car with four people for a traffic violation. Once stopped and windows down, the Officer noticed a .223 caliber rifle with a large magazine laying in the rear floorboard. While asking for proof of insurance, the officer noticed a handgun in the glove compartment. A narcotics dog alerted for the presence of narcotics in the car. A search yielded marijuana and a grinder, the rifle, a Glock pistol with 4 magazines, a Springfield Arms 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine, and 2 ski masks. Massey admitted in an interview that he smoked marijuana regularly.

Pascagoula Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.